Steam-trap.



J. W. LYTTON.

STEAM TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20. 1909.

Patented Feb. 7, 1911.

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PATN

JARARD W. LYT'ION, OF FRANKLIN, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO LYTTON MANUFACTUR-ING CORPORATION, OF FRANKLIN, VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

STEAM-TRAP.

Application filed December 20, 1909.

Specification of Letters Patent.

f0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JARARD W. Lr'rron, a citizen of the United States,residing at Franklin, in the county of Southampton and State ofVirginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Traps, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to steam traps, and in the drawings whichaccompany this specification and form a part of my disclosure, 1 haveillustrated one embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a sectional view of a steam trapconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlargedsectional view of the valve 1neeha nism and valve casing shown inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, the same charactersindicating like parts in the several views 2 denotes the trap bodypreferably formed of a cylindrical section of wrought iron or steel pipeand provided with heads 3, 4, which are fitted with a close joint to theends of the trap.

body 2, and are then tied together by a series of longitudinallyarranged tie bolts or rods 5, all as shown and described in my PatentNo. 788,485, dated April 1905. The head at is provided with the inlet 6,which eon- .necls it to the system to be drained, and preferably thishead has also a lug T placed centrally thereof and adapted to holdv astrainer plate 8, which preferably is of copper, and of such diameter asto lit the seat in the head 4 which receives the section 2 and form agasket between the head and seat so as to give a tight joint, thisstrainer plate 8 being provided on its upper half with a series ofperforations so as to permit free ingress of steam and water from theinlet 6. At the bottom of the head 4 is an open ing to drain and cleanout all sediment which may collect behind the strainer plate 8. Thisopening will be closed by a plug or cock when the trap is in use. Agasket 9 of copper or other suitable material is provided at theopposite end of the trap body 2 so as to give a close joint with thehead 3. The said head 3 is provided on its outer surface with a seat toreceive a fitting 10 for the valve mechanism, such fitting 10 beingsecured in any suitable manner to the head 3, and preferably said headwill be thickened at this point as shown in Fig. 1, in order to givesuflicient metal for the seat in its outer face. The said fitting 10 isprovided with a trunnion seat in which is mounted a trunnion 11, whichhas connected therewith a float stem 12 which projects inwardly into thetrap 2 and carries the float member.

The float member 13, as shown, is an open topped receptacle withinwhich, and as a continuation of the float stem 12, is a pipe 1 1projecting close to the bottom of the float 13 as shown, so that thereis a passage from the bottom of the float 13 through the pipe 1%, floatstem 12, and through the trunnion 11 to the valve casing, presently tobedescribed. The float ,13 is preferably provided with a buffer projection15 at its top, and in order to prevent hammering and take care of anyundue shock to the float and its connected parts when it falls I providethe dash pot 16, the stem of which projects through and below the bottomof the float 13 so that as the float falls in the operation of the trapthe shock of striking the bottom of the trap 2 will be taken up by thedash pot. Projecting forwardly from the trunnion 11 is a valve operatingfork 17 which e1nbraces the stem of a preliminary valve 18 whichnormally closes a passage 19 traversing the main valve 20 which controlsthe port 21 of the trap outlet 22, as showmsaid valve 20 being 'nrovidcdat its lower end with a piston the area of which is greater than thearea of the valve 20. The preliminary valve 18 carries adjustable nuts24-, which are engaged by the fork 17 and to guide the movements of saidvalve 18 its stem plays in a cap nut 25 in the valve c'asing, a suitablepressure equalizing passage 26 being provided in the cap nut and leadingto the top of the stem of the valve 18.

In order that the valve parts and particularly the preliminary valve 18may be read ily accessible, 1. preferably provide in the front of thevalve casing an opening which, is closed by a plug nut 27. A small hole23 is bored through the piston 23 to permit the escape of water frombelow said piston when the preliminary valve 18 is closed so that themain valve can seatpromptly.

With this construction it will be seen that pressure from. the steamentering through the inlet 6 will fill the trap and valve casing, suchpressure passing to the valve casing readily through the pipe 14:, floatstem 12, trunnion 11, and fork 17, and standing abovethe valve 20, holdit to its seat 21 so as to'close the outlet 22. As the trap 2 fills itsseat and the liquid contents of the float stem 12, trunnionll, and Ifloat 13 relieved of its liquid contents will the trunnion 11 as 13 willbe forced out through pipe 14:, float fork 17, through the port 21 tothe outlet 22, whereupon the at once rise, allowing preliminary valve 13to close, whereupon the pressure above the valve 20 will close the port21, and this operation will be repeated as long as the trap fillsiwithwater from the system.

It will be understood, of course, that the trap 2 normally contains asuflicient amount of water to maintain the float 13 in approximately theposition shown in Fig. 1, with the fork 17 in such position that thepreliminary valve 18 will be closed, and the adjustable nuts 24 providefor a suflicient regulation of the valve 13 and the operating forks 17as to secure the proper relation of the parts. V

In order that there may be no danger of a siphonic action being set upthrough the pipe 14 and float stem 12 by reason of the trap filling tothe point where water would work past trunnion 11 into the valve casingand back through the stem 12 and pipe 1%, which upon being filled wouldsiphon out into the valve casing and interfere with the operation of thetrap Imake a small aperture 28 in the angle of the pipe 14-, which issuflicient to break any siphon, but does not interfere with the ejectionof the water through pipe ltand float stem 12 under pressure, theaperture being so small that while amply sufiicient to break anysiphonic action no material amount of water will escape during theemptying of the float.

It is sometimes desirable to manipulate the float by hand, and to thisend I provide trunnion 11 with a handle 29 projecting outside thecasing, as shown in Fig. 3, this operating handle 29 being provided withprojecting fingers 30, which enter arc-shaped grooves 31 in the trunnion11 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that while the trunnion may be rockedthrough the medium of this handle 29, and the finger and grooveconnection, yet the trunnion may rock under the influence of the float13 without operating the handle, and this enables me to make a verytight joint about the handle spindle where it projects from the casingwithout imposing so much frictional resistance upon to hamper or checkits rocking movements in its seat, thus making the mechanism foroperating the valves and emptying the trap exceedingly easy to operate,and consequently more eflicient and certain.

I claim:

1. A steam trap having, in combination, a body-portion, an inlet headfitted thereto, a screen supporting lug projecting from said head andintegral therewith, and a screen or baflle-plate the lower half of whichis imperfora-te carried by said lug.

2. A steam trap having, in combination, a body-portion, detachable inletand outlet heads therefor, the outlet head having a depression in itsouter face, tie rods clamping said heads and body-portion, together, andan outlet-valve casing having a trunnion seat and an integral supportingplate countersunk in said depression.

3. In a steam trap and in combination, a trap-body having inlet amloutlet, a valve casing and valve mechanism therein for controlling theoutlet comprising a piston valve normally closed by steam pressure, apreliminary valve controlling opening pressure for said piston valve,and means pivoted in said valve casing and controlled by the water inthe trap-body to open said preliminary valve, said means forming thepassageway through which the water escapes from said trap body.

4:. Ina steam trap and in combination, a trap body having inlet andoutlet, a valve casing and valve mechanism therein for controlling theoutlet, said mechanism C()lltl)l'l5- ing a normally-closed pressureoperated valve, a preliminary alive for controlling opening pressure tosaid outlet valve, :1 hollow float in said trap body, and a tubularfloat stem pivoted in said valve casing and adapted to control themovement of the preliminary valves, said tubular float stem serving as apassage for withdrawing the water from the trap body.

5. In a steam trap and in combination, a trap body having inlet andoutlet, a pressure-controlled outlet valve, and a valve casing therefor,a float, and a float operated preliminary valve adapted to control pressure to said outlet valve, and a tubular float stem pivoted in saidvalve chamber through which the water in said trap body is withdrawn bythe outlet when the outlet valve 1 is open.

6. In a steam-trap and in combination, a trap-body having inlet andoutlet, a valve casing in direct communication with said outlet, apiston valve in said casing controlling said outlet and having apressure passage therein from a pressure source to a piston chamber, afloat and a tubular float stem, and a float-controlled preliminary valvecarried by said outlet valve and controlling said pressure passage, saidfloat stem passing through said outlet to the preliminary valve.

7. In a steam-trap and in combination, a trap-body having inlet andoutlet, a valve casing at the outlet provided with removable end caps, apreliminary valve and a piston valve in the casing, one of said capshaving a perforation therein to serve as a guide for the stem of thepreliminary valve, and the other cap formed with a chamber adapted toreceive the lower end of the piston valve.

8. In a steam-trap, the combination with a trap-body having inlet andoutlet, of an outlet valve, a valve-operating arm, a trunnion for saidarm, and manually operating means comprising a rocking member adapted toengage said trunnion in a manner to permit lost motion between theparts.

9. In a steam-trap, the combination with a trap-body having inlet andoutlet, of an outlet valve, valve-operating means including a trunnionin a closed trunnion chamber, and a trunnion-operating handle projectingthrough a stuffing in said chamber and having a lost motion connectionwith said trunnion.

10. In a steam-trap, the combination with a trap-body having inlet andoutlet, of an outlet valve, a valve casing, a trunnion chamber in saidcasing, a valve-engaging arm extending from said trunnion into the valvechamber, a float, a float-carrying arm extending from said trunnionWithin the trap-body, and a trunnion-operating arm projecting from saidtrunnion chamber and having a lost motion connection with said trunnion.

11. In a steam-trap, the combination with a trap-body having inlet andoutlet, of a valve casing, an outlet valve therein, a valve operatingarm, a trunnion mounted in said casing, and having a transverse passage,a hollow valve-engaging fork projecting from said passage, on one sideof said trunnion, a float, and a hollow float carrying arm projectingfrom said passage on the other side of said trunnion.

12. In a steam trap, the combination with a trap-body having inlet andoutlet, of an outlet valve, a valve operating float, a hollow armforming a drainage leg connecting said valve and float, said arm havingan aperture between its ends.

13. In a steam trap, the combination with a trap-body having inlet andoutlet, of an outlet'valve, a float for operating said valve, and an armconnecting said valve and float and extending close to the bottom ofsaid float, said arm having an aperture at its highest point to preventsiphonic action in said arm.

14. In a steam trap, the combination with a trap-body having inlet andoutlet, an outlet valve, a bucket float, and a pivoted angular drainagearm connecting said valve and float, said drainage arm having a slightperforation to prevent siphoning.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit nesses.

J ARARD IV. LYTTON. Witnesses:

F. X. SoI-IULLEn, W. IV. VAUGHAN, Jr.

